Shoe buffing device



sept. 30, 1947. F, A. QUINN 2,428,339

SHOE BUFFING DEVICE Filed April 7, 1945 Patented Sept. 30,Y 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE BUFFING DEVICE Frederick A. Quinn, Boston, Mass. Application April 7, 1945, .Serial No. 587,141

My present invention relates to a bufling device for use in treating a coat of polish or the like applied to footwear or other leath'er articles to provide a neat finish.

In shining shoes, at the present time, it is the common practice rst to employ a brush on the surfaces to which the polish has been applied and then to iinish the polishing of the surfaces by means of a polishing cloth.

This practice is not wholly satisfactory as the brushes attack and remove a substantial part of the thin layer of polish as an incident to treating it. In addition, such brushes are relatively expensive and rather cumbersome to handle and use.

A bufng device in accordance with my invention consists of a fabric body adapted to be easily compressed. Such a body may be readily formed by winding a strip of fabric about a mandrel so that when removed therefrom a hollow cylinder results. I insert the body in a retaining casing of fabric and Aalso insert in th'e casing,

on opposite sides of the body, a pair of wooden or like splints which establish the sides of the device to ensure that pressures exerted on the sides of the device are evenly distributed throughout its length. The device is then completed by stitching or otherwise permanently closing the ends of the casing.

Such' a device is well adapted for use in buing a coat of polish as when the sides of the device are manually gripped, the device is compressed extending the top and bottom of the body, to provide a yieldable cushion of substantially uniform depth from the bufling surfaces established by the material from which the casing is made.

When a more complete outfit is desired, I provide a polishing or finishing member in th'e form of a fabric strip, of substantially the width of the buffing device, which may be wound about the device to be conveniently available. `Such a polishing member may be used as a, cover for the bufng device when the casing has become soiled.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of my invention from which' its novel features and advantages will be apparent. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a buiiing member in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View showing the cloth wound on the mandrel to establsh the body.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view after the body has been removed from the man- 2 drel and the splints have been introduced between the body and the casing.

Fig. 4 isa transverse vertical sectional view showing the buiiing member in slightly compressed condition as when used against the article being buffed, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the combined buffing and polishing outfit.

In Fig. 2, I have indicated at IIl a body that may be conveniently formed by Winding a strip II of cloth on a mandrel I2 from which it can be easily stripped to provide a hollow cylinder The hollow body I0 is inserted in a casing I3 and splints I4 of wood or other suitable material are inserted in the casing on opposite sides of the body I0. The casing I3 is th'en closed as by stitching or otherwise, so that the body IIJ and splints I4 are completely encased.

When a buiiing device in accordance with my invention, is manually held for use, its sides are engaged and the pressure of the hand compresses the device laterally and extends it vertically as indicated in Fig. 4.-. As a result, the portions of the casing I3 to be used as a buiing surface are extended and yieldably :backed -by the partially compressed body I0.

On the bufng device, I may wind a strip I5 of cloth for use in polishing the bufed surface. The width of the strip I5 is preferably substantially the length of the bufng device. While the polishing strip may be readily detached for separate use, it or a like strip may be used as a cover for my device when the casing `=I3 has become so soiled as to be unfit for further use.

It will be understood that the buiiing device may be sold by itself or the polishing strip and the device may be sold as a combined buffng and polishing unit. When such a unit is to be sold, it may be packed in a suitable box or united by a wrapper to prevent the unwinding of the polishing strip.

It will be apparent that bufling devices in accordance with my invention are of light weight and inexpensive construction and are well adapted for use in buiiing the coat of polish on shoes.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A buiiing device for footwear or other articles of leather and the like, said device comprising a hollow cylindrical body of yieldable stock and of substantial length the wall of said body being of substantial thickness, a fabric casing enclosing said body, and splints longitudinally disposed in said casing along opposite outer sides of said body, said splints being of substantially the length of said body and of substantial width and establishing zones for manual engagement by the user and being of sufficient width and length so that holding pressures applied at said zones are uniformly distributed throughout substantially the entire length of the device, said device normally having insufficient mass extending above or below said splints for effective bung use but when held under compression at said zones a substantial,- portion is exposed above and below saidsplints and said bodyis sufciently deformed to render it adapted for bufng use.

2. A buing device for footwear or other articles of leather and the like, said devicefcomprisg ing a spirally wound, hollow cylindrical Ybody of fabric the wall of which is of substantial thick'- ness, said body being of substantial length, a Y

mass extending above or below said splints for effective buiing use but when said device is held under compression at said zones a substantial portion is exposed above and below said splints and said body is suioiently deformed to render it adapted for buii'ing use.

FREDERICK A. QU'INN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are off record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,137,958 Svtepan i Nov. 22, 1938 1,217,848 Small Feb. 27, 1917 Tg5-13,89. Cutter Nov. 8, 1904 1,668,984' Oliver May l, 1928 12,818,930- Plonus 1 Aug. 11, 1931 1,773,734 Kean Aug. 26, 1930 1,785,512- Buttenhein Dec. 16 1930 Y EOEELQN BAEENS Number Country Date- 601,672. France-, --f-V--P-f Bec. 8, 1925 

